Shirt-stretcher



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ORLO J. MARSH, OF TITUSVILLE, PENNSYLVANA.

SHIRT-STRETCHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 505,472, datedSeptember 26, 1893.

Application filed May I To a/ZZ whom it may concern:

.Be it known that I, ORLO J. MARSH, a citizen of the United States,residing at Titusville, in the county of Crawford and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Flannel-Shirt Drier andStretcher, of which the following is a specification.

The objects of my invention are to provide a frame for the reception offlannel shirts, the same being adapted to be operated or disposed so asto readily receive a flannel shirt after washing, and to support orstretch the same in its natural position during the operation of drying,thereby avoiding the disagreeable and troublesome shrinking that wouldoften occur when dried in the ordinary way; and, furthermore, to soconstruct the frame as to be adapted to be readily suspended from anail, clothes line or other support, and to be adjusted so as toaccommodate itself to various sizes of shirts.

With these and various other objects in view j the invention consists incertain features of construction hereinafter specified and particularlypointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings-Figure 1 is an elevation of a iiannel shirt,the same being placed upon a drying frame constructed in accordance withmy invention. Fig. 2 is a detail of the .drying frame, the same beingbolted to the position it occupies when in the act of receiving theshirt. Fig. 3 is a similar view, the frame being in the position itoccupies after the shirt has been placed thereon andis in the act ofbeing dried. Fig. 4 is a detail of the pivotal connection between theinner ends of the drying-arms.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts in all the figures of thedrawings.

l-l designate the opposite curved side bars, whose outer edges conformas near as possible to the general contour of the body of a person, andthe same are connected adjustably at their lower ends through the mediumof a transverse connecting bar 2, which bar adjacent to its ends isprovided with a series of perforations 3, which are designed to alignwith a corresponding perforation formed in the side bars 1 and to beconnected adjustably therewith through the medium of a thumbnut and bolt4. In this manner the frame at 1893. Serial No. 474.943.

(No model.)

its lower end may be adapted to receive shirts of various widths. Theupper ends of the side bars 1 are slightly widened so as to be disposedinwardly a short distance, and each has pivoted thereto by a thumb-nutand bolt 6 a pair of drying arms 7, the same in contour similating thoseof an ordinary shirt. By arranging the bolt 6 in different holes 8 aseries of which is formed in each of the arms it will be seen that thedistance apart between the .upper portions of the side bars 1 may beincreased or decreased. The arms 7 are cut out so as to permit a freecirculation of air through the shirt, and a similar circulation ispermissible through the body portion by reason of the separation of theside bars 1. The arms 7 extend inwardly beyond the bars 1 and are cutout at their meeting edges so as to form lower abutting portions 9,which when they meet serve to maintain each other in a transverse lineor at right angles to the remaining portion of the frame. The upperterminals of `the arms have applied thereto metal securing plates 10,and each plate terminates at its outer end in a disk slightly cifsetfrom the plate. The plates are applied to the arms at opposite sidesthereof and are swiveled together by a central pin 12. Each plate has aperforation 13, so that when Athe arms are swung down to a horizontalposi` tion, the said perforations align, and the frame may be swung froma clothes line or from a nail as desired. It will be seen that the pointof pivot between the arms is eccentricallylocated with relation to thepoint of pivot loetween the side bars and the arms, so that by adownward swinging of the arms to bring them in a horizontal position theside bars are separated to a greater degree than otherwise, and by areverse or upward movement of the arms, the side bars are drawntogether.

ln applying a shirt the arms are swung to a vertical position, so thatthey may be readily drawn thereover and aft-er the arms are in positionthe body of the shirt is drawn down over the contracted frame and thefront buttoned. It now simply remains to swing the arms to theirhorizontal positions thus spreading the side bars or stretching themapart and also the shirt. In this manner the IOO the entire operation ofdrying, and the fiannel thus dried will require no operation of ironing,but when taken off will be soft and pliable and unshrunken.

From the foregoing description in con nection with the accompanyingdrawings it will be seen that I have provided a very eicient, cheap andsimple device to which shirts may be readily applied after Washing andwhich will retain them in proper shape during the operation of drying,thereby preventing any possible shrinking'and obviating the necessity ofa subsequent ironing.

Having described my invention, what I claim is l. In a drying frame ofthe class described, the combination with the opposite side bars, thelower transverse connecting bar pivoted to the lowerends thereof, of theopposite arms abutting at their inner ends `and hinged at their uppercorners and pivotally connected at each side-of said hinge with the sidebars, substantially as specified.

2. In a drier frame, of the class described, the combination with thecurved side bars and the lower transverse connecting bar, of devices foradjustably connecting the same at its opposite ends to the side bars,the upf per hinged arms adjustably connected to the side bars andabutting between the same, andy justably connecting the same with theupper" ends of the side bars, said arms having their abutting edgesrecessed to form lower abutting portions 9, the opposite metal plates 10secured to the opposite sides of the arms at their upper cornersandprovided at theirinner ends with-disks, a pivot for the disks, and

4openings formed in the plates adapted 'to align when the arms are in a'horizontal position, substantially as specified.

In testimony `that Ilclaim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmysignature in the presence of two Witnesses.

ORLO J. MARSH.

Witnesses:

J. J. HOLDEN, WILLIAM H. EDDY.

